Businesses in mid and north Essex have given Royal Mail the stamp of approval despite the upheaval faced by the industry.

In less than two years, parent company Consignia could shed 30,000 jobs.

A Consignia spokeswoman would not confirm the figure, but stressed any changes would improve deliveries.

A delay in deliveries had been highlighted at open forum organised by Essex Chambers of Commerce in Chelmsford earlier this year.

A spokesman for the chamber, based in Colchester, said: "For small businesses it is particularly important they get their mail on time in the mornings so that they can respond immediately.

"Getting it in the middle of the morning or early afternoon can make quite a difference."

The spokesman said it had not received direct feedback from the businesses since the forum, which made it difficult to say whether or not delivery times had improved.

But he added: "Royal Mail is always willing to enter into discussions over any difficulties that do arise."

Lorraine Barnett, marketing director of Colchester department store Williams and Griffin, said it did not have problems with the postal service.

"As a large company, we can take advantage of the mailshot accounts it offers.

"We send out 20,000 Christmas brochures via Royal Mail. We ensure they are postcoded as that helps us with significant savings in mailing costs."

She said they were "very happy" with the service.

The Consignia spokesman said: "We understand the needs of small businesses and try to ensure their mail is delivered as early as possible.

"However, this is not always possible in remote, rural areas where delivery rounds are longer."

The spokesman said Essex Chamber of Commerce was on record as acknowledging the improvements Royal Mail has made to services in the county.

Figures provided to Postwatch, the new consumer council for postal services, show the percentage of first class items delivered next day in the CM (Chelmsford) area has gone from 85.3per cent to 88.4 and in the CO (Colchester) postcode area the improvement from April to September was 88.7 to 90.3.

Published Tuesday December 18, 2001